The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-06-05
Mr.. NOONAN EXPLAINS.
IND SECRETARY KELsFYa ANALrzES
THE EXPLANATION

Takes Issue With Hahn on Some vital
Points.
There are always two sides to every
story; aud to learn the other side of the
story concerning the employment and dis
charge of Assemblyman Noonan by the
School Fund Commissioners, reporter of
the SUNDAY MoREING NEWS was dispatched
to that gentleman's house day or two ago.
ssYour story, published last Sunday
morning" said Mr.. Noonap, twas distor-
ton Of the facts from beginning to end
1t is not true that I arrogated to myself
functions I should not have exercised: nor
did make any error of judgment in prose-
cutting the duties of that trust. collected
no moneys was not authorized and Direct
ed to collect; and while l cannot say it
positively, suspect that the real reason
why was discharged was that I did nay
work too faithfully. L want to say first
that was fully authorized to collect the
moneys of the School Fund. On the rec
ord OF the meeting of the State School
Fund Board this minute appears:
'On motion Of the Controller the Governor was
authorized TO employ some enc to take charge Of
by the Board from time to time
"Here," MIR. Noonan went on els the
certificate of the Secretary of State, VINO is
a member of the Board, that this is an ex-
act copy of part of the minute so fiat mee-
ing. You will see that it expressly
puts me liz charge of COLLECTIONS Under
that resolution / was appointed. I went
to work at once, travelled all over the
State, dunned up the debtors to the Fund,
and it may be that l trod on the coras of
some member of the Board At any rate,
at a subsequent meeting of the Board the
right of the Board to give me authority to
collect was disputed. The State School
Fund Commissioners had always had
agents, and they had always collected, and
their right to do 1t had never been dis
puted. But my o. .hority to make collec-
tions was questioned. Attorney General
Stockton ruled that as I was not under
bonds, could not BE empowered to collect
any of the States moneys. Then Maj
Anderson doubted whether he had put tne
motion as broadly as Secretary Kelseys
minutes stated it. The Secretary of State
declared that the motion had been properly
recorded. and there was quite dissussian.
The Board was puzzled to devise means
to escape the dilemma, and finally Attor-
ney- General Stockton suggested that the
only way out of the difficulty was to re-
send the resolution authorizing my ap-
pointment. That was done, and of courge
my appointment was lost with its resets
sion. Now, you will see from this states
in Office had done that was fully author-
lied to do it, and that my loss Of the
appointment was not due IN any sense TO-
my exceeding my powers in the premises.
AS for the money l collected, that has all
been turned over to State Treasurer Tof-
fey, and he knows that he has it aff->E 8,
practically told you SO, in the interview
with hum which you published LIST Sum
day morning
A SUNDAY MORNINGS News reporter was
sent to Trenton yesterday morning. 10 pro-
cure the statement of the members of the
State Fund in the matter. Comptroiler
Anderson and Attorney General Stockton
could not be seen as they had left town.
but Secretary of State Kelsey was found In
his barbed-wire f4ctory in ChambersburQ.
Mr. Kelsey said:
when the resolution under which Mr..
Noonan was appointed attorney to the
Board was adopted, it was not designed to
confer upon him power to receipt for any
moneys that he might collect. Ia fact tins
Board was not authorized to confer any
such power, because, under the Law, the
| State Treasurer, who is also Treasurer of
the Fund, is the only officer who is entitled
to the custody of the funds, and he alone
can give receipts for the money collected.
| Mr.. Noonan, after his appointment. issued
circular TO the debtors of the fund, say
ing that he. had been appointed attorney
and that the money owed should be re-
mitted to him. He not only collected the
money but also gave receipts for
it. It has always been the Gus
tom of the attorney to deliver the
money to the Treasurer, who would send
recelp's to the persons paying it aud give
| them credit on the accounts. Mr. No0nan
assumed that he had power to receips for 1
! al al ~, Il
ferent construction of the resolution The
Board disapproved of the course taken bvS
MIR. Noonan, and the eireular issued BIZ
hial was counterInanded. 1 admit II ia
had power to collect monils, but heshould
not have assumed the power of gives REL
ceipts or of retaining the money, AMI should
have turned it Ia the shape in which it rs
ceiyeG it, over to the Treasurer Thsrs
being suca difference of opinion between
Mr.. Noonan and the Board, the Board
deemed it wise to resciad tae 1850 u Si5n
under which be was appointed, ard gaat.
OF course, put an end to Mr.. Noonan 4 POI
sition."
rs there any truth. in Nj. Noonan'a
statement that ne was dismissed through
the influence Of friends of members OF tao
Board?"
Speaking for myself" Mr.. Kelsev said.
81 pronounce the statement as utterly erro-
neous, and l think | speak for the oshsr
members of the Board. None of NV
friends had ever spoken to me about his
removed, and | think | can say the same
of the other members. The resolution
appointing him was rescinded because Mr..
Noonan's opinion of the extent Of his
powers did not agree with the opinion OF
the Board. 1t is not true, either, that the
members of the Board could not agrees
among themselves on the questioa Of his
powers. We were all in full accord aud
all agreed that Mr.. Noonan exceeded his
powers. Mr.. Anderson, who offered the
resolution, subsequently stated that the
resolution as it appeared on the ninf1fae